Abstract [en]

Introduction: Within the psychodynamic theory, there are different opinions whether the therapist should tell the patient about himself. The therapists self-disclosure have been studied and discussed in psychoanalytic literature. The purpose of this article is to describe psychodynamic psychotherapists experiences of working with Self-Diclosure.

Question: How do psychodynamic psychoterapists describe their experiences of working with Self-Disclosure?

Method: The study uses the descriptive phenomenological human scientific method. Qualitative deep interviews was made with five psychodynamic psychotherapists at their office. The interviews were recorded and transcribed word for word. The material was divided into meaning units whose psychological content was elucidated, their mutual relations was studied and an understanding has been achieved. An continuous oscillation between the whole and the parts was made until the structure of the phenomenon was discovered.

Result: In the analysis seven general structures were discovered. Milieu, personality, questions and answers, thoughts and feelings in the therapy room, life outside therapy, emotional experiences of Self-Disclosure and Self-Disclosure and its influence on the therapy process. Milieu and personality were regarded as inevitable Self-Disclosure. Verbal statements and emotional expressions could be both intentional and unintentional. Self-Disclosure can both hinder and facilitate the therapy process.

Discussion: Safety and contact are emphasised as central in the therapy process by all therapists in the study. Self-Disclosure ought to be used with regard to both the patient and the phase in the therapy process. Both the content and the context are of importance for the consequence of Self-Disclosure. A pragmatic stance can favour the therapy process. The consequences cannot be foreseen but the most important is the therapist`s attention to how it is experienced and how it influence the therapy process.